Riders or Lions? Who breaks out of Mosaic Stadium doldrums?

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When the B.C. Lions last played a CFL game at Mosaic Stadium, they were embarrassingly bad.

Same with the Saskatchewan Roughriders — their last home game was horrible.

So who breaks out of their Mosaic Stadium doldrums when they meet Saturday (4:30 p.m., TSN) in the West Division semifinal? The Roughriders, who lost 27-12 to the lowly Calgary Stampeders a few days ago? Or the Lions, who were pummelled 39-8 by Saskatchewan on Oct. 12?

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“That’s internal with them,” said Roughriders defensive end Bryan Cox Jr., when asked about the Lions’ last poor showing at Mosaic. “I don’t know exactly what went on. All we can do is control what we can control.

“I feel like we have a lot to improve on as well, so I don’t think we put our best foot forward. I mean, we played well but I think we would play better. The scoreboard pretty much dictated that, but we don’t feel as if that team was better than our team.”

The Roughriders know they’re going to see an improved version of the Lions, whose poor Mosaic performance forced B.C. head coach Rick Campbell to finally switch quarterbacks, going from QB-of-the-future Nathan Rourke to the guy who led them through an early-season surge, Vernon Adams Jr.

“Both of ’em are great players,” said Cox. “I feel like Vernon presents a little more mobility, but both are great throwers of the ball and you gotta prepare, you know, just enough for both of them.”

Rourke played that forgettable game in Regina, but his repeated struggles since returning to the CFL from several NFL tryouts ultimately convinced Campbell to reinstate Adams for B.C.’s regular-season finale against the Montreal Alouettes, which the Lions surprisingly and impressively won 27-3 before enjoying a bye last weekend.

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The Lions looked reinvigorated against Montreal, comfortable with their veteran quarterback as Adams connected with receivers Justin McInnis and Keon Hatcher for some of his 385 passing yards. They’re on a roll, those Lions, even if it’s only one game. And they obviously have faith in mercurial Adams, who is just as capable of throwing six touchdown passes as six interceptions or getting sacked six times in a single game.

“We would rather him being on the latter end of what you said,” Cox said with a chuckle. “We definitely gotta take advantage of any ball that goes up in the air. Any ball that’s on the ground, it has to be ours. So we are really emphasizing turnovers and all of that kind of stuff.

“Disruptive football.”

Although they suffered through a seven-game winless skid, the Roughriders started this season winning four straight games and were on a similar streak, having tallied four straight victories before hosting the Stampeders. Saskatchewan was the CFL’s hottest team and should have blown out their hapless visitors, except …

A last-play victory by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in Montreal — which many of the Roughriders watched on TV mere moments before their game started — ended Saskatchewan’s chance of moving into first place in the West. Relegated to second place and owners of home-field advantage for Saturday’s semifinal, the deflated Roughriders bumped five starters from their roster and deployed backup quarterbacks Shea Patterson and Jack Coan instead of red-hot veteran Trevor Harris.

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The Bombers victory and Saskatchewan’s ensuing roster tinkering led to the Roughriders’ worst performance of the season, coming right before the playoffs.

Roughriders head coach Corey Mace told reporters Tuesday he didn’t regret the roster moves, but he was disappointed in how his players responded. Mace said the team would “flush” away that Calgary game as it prepared for the Lions. His players evidently listened.

“We just flush that one,” said Cox. “We’re zero-and-zero right now, with a fresh start. It’s the playoffs, man!

“If you don’t have that juice, I don’t know what you’re doing playing football. This is what we all play for, to have a chance to win a championship.”

The Roughriders are also hoping for an improved version of themselves, more like the team that started the season and nearly ended the season.

Not like the team from that seven-game slide, when the Roughriders couldn’t manufacture turnovers or confidence. And certainly not like the squad that took a miserable misstep just a few days ago.

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